The runway show evolved in different ways during New York Fashion Week, from presentations in shops to special events held in theatres and arenas (more about that in another post), to open air shows to reconnect with New York's architecture and pay homage to the city 18 years after 9/11.
In previous occasions Lela Rose invited her audience to garden parties and on boats, but this time she sent a love message to New York designing a road of yellow rose petals (rather than yellow bricks...) in Hudson River Park and setting up along the yellow path "Café Lela" tables offering pastries and cakes.
The main inspiration for the collection was the New York City skyline and the location perfectly matched with it as the runway took place on the backdrop of New York's waterfront, on Pier 64.
Rose left behind the more touristy and tackly cityscapes of New York in favour of pastel and faded vintage colour postcards. This inspiration worked rather well on pleated open-back cotton shirtdresses or separates with the skyline or with an image of Central Park.
Flowers offered the designer another inspiration: big and small roses (was she referencing her name here or the rose as the floral emblem of the United States, like Prabal Gurung also did?) were printed on a tiered pink, pale blue and yellow gold gown or on cotton frocks; they appeared on floral-printed lace and or they were recreated as three-dimensional decorative elements in organza.
As a whole this wasn't maybe an incredibly new collection, but it looked feminine and it spread a sense of optimism also thanks to the models happily smiling.
Also Coach decided to send a love message to the city. Creative Director Stuart Vevers luckily left behind prairie style dresses and moved from the energy of Manhattan to find more intriguing inspirations.
He eventually discovered them at the Foundation of the late artist Richard Bernstein. Vevers printed on tank tops, shirts and bags Bernstein's glamorously vibrant portraits of Barbra Streisand, Michael J. Fox and Rob Lowe.
The event took place on the Spur and Coach Passage (it passes through Coach's global headquarters at 10 Hudson Yards), the newest section of the High Line (the brand has been a supporter of the High Line), New York City's pedestrian pathway (a landmark that in the past inspired both fashion collections and special fashion-related projects by architects).
Leaving behind fake sets and indoor presentations was refreshing for Vevers as the collection felt more real and seemed to relate better to the city.
There was also a certain vaporwave aesthetics in some of the colours and prints, combined with just a touch of Art Deco, especially when it came to the graphic motifs on sweaters and dresses, at times representing abstract geometries, at others means of transports (that pointed at Art Deco's fascination with speed, planes, trains and cars).
Yet the biggest tribute that Vevers did to New York City was moving from some of the timeless pieces designed by Bonnie Cashin (even though he didn't mention her).
The cherry red leather trench coat that opened the show echoed indeed the chic yet functional and practical red, orange or brown leather coats Cashin designd for Philip Sills in the '60s (View this photo; she worked for the brand from 1952 to 1977); Vevers' raincoats with their ample and functional pockets pointed at Cashin's weatherwear for the Russ Taylor label (View this photo) or at her leather and canvas coats from the '60s (View this photo).
Some of the bags on the runway incorporated prints from Bernstein's artworks and almost all the bags featured Bonnie Cashin's iconic turn-lock hardware fastenings.
While this collection seemed fresher, younger and less dark and oppressive compared to previous ones, it seems that Cashin's legacy to Coach (where she worked from 1962 to 1974) remains the main reason why this brand is still relevant today.
What to do with this collection then? Well, should you find online or in second-hand shops a genuine vintage Bonnie Cashin designs, go for it rather than for these modern interpretations of her creations, as that will be the best fashion investment you will ever make and through it you will also pay homage to an American designer who created timelessly clever pieces.
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